


An Ember in the Snow

by SailorHaumea



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Azula and Katara overthrow the patriarchy, Azula raised by the Northern Water Tribe AU, Azula wants to kill Pakku, Character Death, Gen, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, Kidnapping, Not Beta Read, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Zhao (Avatar) Is An Asshole
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-21
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:14:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 8,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22768384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorHaumea/pseuds/SailorHaumea
Summary: At the age of eleven, Azula is discreetly removed from the Royal Palace and spirited away to the Northern Water Tribe as a favor from Pakku to Iroh.Or: Azula gets raised by the Northern Water Tribe.
Comments: 8
Kudos: 63





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iroh returns home a year after the defeat in Ba Sing Se, and decides to take matters into his own hands after seeing how Azula is being treated by her father.

The Dragon of the West was not entirely sure what had happened at the Royal Palace between his son's death and his return, but he was deeply troubled by the state of things upon his arrival.

His father had apparently died just a few days after Lu Ten did, presumably from the stress and grief of losing a grandchild.

But what puzzled Iroh was the aftermath of Fire Lord Azulon's death. It appeared that he had made a last-minute alteration to his will, replacing Iroh with his younger brother Ozai as the Fire Lord's heir.

Iroh supposed this made sense - Iroh no longer had an heir. His line was dead now. Meanwhile, Ozai had two children who were very much alive.

However, this brought him to the next bit of information. The Lady Ursa was gone. She wasn't dead, she had just...disappeared the night Azulon died. This was extremely unusual.

And this was just the surface. Iroh soon came to see that there had been a change in his brother's behavior. He was pushing his children harder. It was clear that the new Fire Lord was trying to mold Princess Azula into being like him.

The retired general knew he wasn't able to protect both his niece and his nephew. But at the same time, he couldn't just abandon one of them to his brother's manipulations.

Prince Zuko was friendly with his uncle. Iroh could protect him easier than he could protect his niece, who spurned Iroh's efforts at bonding.

Then an...unorthodox option came into his head. He could get Azula away from Ozai via removing her from the Palace and taking her elsewhere.

But where to move her? It had to be someplace her father wouldn't go, someplace the Fire Nation wouldn't attack.

Oh.

Of course.

The Northern Water Tribe hadn't been invaded by the Fire Nation in over seventy years. And Iroh had a friend there - Master Pakku. They had befriended one another over the past year, as Iroh underwent a change in his worldview and discovered the Order.

If Iroh could get Pakku to take Azula into his care, she would be safe.

As long as there wasn't any suspicion that the Northern Water Tribe held the princess, Iroh realized.

The plan began to piece together. He could take Azula on a trip and have her officially be lost at sea in the northern polar waters, claiming that some pirates had attacked and his niece had gone overboard in the chaos. Meanwhile, Master Pakku could take the princess into the city, with no one outside the North Pole knowing the truth besides Iroh.

Yes. This could work.

The Dragon of the West began to compose his letter to Pakku.


	2. Loss, Real or Imagined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fire Nation Royal Palace mourns Azula's "death".

When Iroh returned from his trip to the North, he was alone.

The news of the princess's apparent demise sent shockwaves through the court.

Crown Prince Zuko had done his best to be nice to his little sister. It had been hard. Azula had always tried to prove she was better than him, had always rubbed her superiority in his face. But he still cared about her. She was his sister! She was family. And she had cared about him, in her own way, Zuko knew. She just had a very different way of showing it.

Ty Lee didn't hide her emotions. Her reaction was crying. Sure, Azula could be mean sometimes, but she was also nice. Azula cared for her in her own way.

Mai did her best to maintain her emotionless facade. It had become an instinct. Why should she show emotion if her parents were just going to punish her for it? Nevertheless, cracks in the facade appeared. Ty Lee caught her crying shortly after she had gotten the news. Mai had, of course, made it clear that Ty Lee shouldn't speak of the incident.

The Fire Lord did not mourn his daughter's death beyond holding a funeral. He didn't cry.

An outside observer might say that the Fire Lord had only cared about his daughter because of her potential use as a weapon.

Such an observer would be in very grave danger if they had said this, even if it was the truth.


	3. Azula's Thoughts on the Northern Water Tribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula gets to know some of the residents of the Northern Water Tribe.

About a week after her arrival in the Northern Water Tribe, Azula was quite certain she would wind up killing Pakku eventually.

The waterbending master was the most sexist man she had ever met. He looked at her with disdain, as if she was lesser than him. And it wasn't just the way he looked at her - it was the way he talked to her.

Conversations with Master Pakku typically ended in an argument between Azula and the old man over the fact that the Northern Water Tribe's ludicrous traditions effectively halved their potential fighting force. There was no strategic gain to preventing women from learning combat waterbending.

Eventually, Azula decided to just not talk to Pakku. If she needed a waterbending, she'd go ask Master Wei, Pakku's apprentice, who was more enlightened when it came to gender equality and didn't come across as a misogynistic windbag.

Azula did make some friends, of course - there was Princess Yue, the chief's daughter. Yue was the only person Azula had ever known to have white hair. Not gray hair, but white. Yue actually saw Azula as an equal.

There was also the hunter/inventor/waterbender Hiryu, who was a child prodigy at all three things. Azula really liked Hiryu. He was smart, he was funny, and he was even kinda cute.

Wait, where had that last one come from?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually borrowed a few minor characters from the first ATLA video game for this chapter.


	4. Young Azula and Hiryu Go on an Adventure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Hiryu go exploring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place approximately seven months after Azula arrives in the North Pole, in 97 AG.
> 
> Character ages: 
> 
> Hiryu - 12  
> Azula - 11

"Come on, Azula, I wanna see the polar bear dog pups!" Hiryu declared, yanking the princess by her sleeve.

Azula snorted at that. "We've seen polar bear dogs before!"

"Yeah, but not a litter of pups!" the twelve-year-old waterbender pointed out.

The princess sighed. "Fine, we'll go see the pups. But you owe me for this."

They took off running out of the village, leaving footprints in the snow as they went. Hiryu led the way to the cave where the polar bear dogs were taking shelter.

A litter of six pups rolled around in the snow happily, as their mother watched over them.

"Aww, they're so cute," Hiryu remarked.

"Shush," Azula admonished him. "We don't know what's in this cave."

Privately, the princess agreed with Hiryu - the pups were adorable. But it was indeed the case that they had no idea what was living in here. Neither of them wanted to fall prey to a pack of dark wolves, for instance.

"I wanna explore," the waterbender stated. "I've never been in here before."

"And then I'll have to tell Old Lady Ming her grandson lost his footing in the cave and I couldn't save him from falling to his death. No thanks."

"We'll be fine. You're just scared."

"I am not scared!" Azula hissed. "I'll prove it."

She maneuvered across the snowy interior of the cave, accompanied by Hiryu.

Then she realized Hiryu had tricked her into taking charge.

"Curse you," she groaned.

Her friend just grinned at her.

They went deeper into the cave.

They stopped when Hiryu almost lost his footing on an unsteady patch of ground.

Azula grabbed the boy by his arm and pulled him to his feet. "That's it. We're leaving."

"Fine," he grumbled.

Sneaking back through the cave and past the polar bear dogs, they returned to the snowy path back to the village.

"What happened back there? How did you almost fall?" the Fire Nation Princess questioned her companion.

"I think I almost stepped on a weak patch of the cave," Hiryu explained.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to go in the cave. What if the floor gave way and you fell into an abyss?"

The waterbender rolled his eyes. "Come on, Azula, you're overreacting."

As they reentered the village, however, Master Pakku stood waiting for them.

"Princess Azula," he stated, "a letter from your uncle has arrived. You should read it immediately."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The cave that Azula and Hiryu explore, like a lot of Northern Water Tribe stuff in this fic, is taken from the first ATLA video game, as is the old woman Ming (in the game, she asks Aang to get some lamp oil and wick for her). Yay, worldbuilding!


	5. The Banishment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula learns of her brother's banishment.

"Give it to me," Azula demanded, snatching the letter out of Pakku's hands.

Her eyes darted back and forth as she read the letter. And then her eyes began to well up with tears as she reread it several times, the details it provided burning into her memory.

'Prince Zuko has been banished by the Fire Lord.'

'He spoke out of turn in a war meeting.'

'He refused to fight in an Agni Kai against his father.'

'The Fire Lord gave your brother a burn scar across much of the left side of his face.'

'He is forbidden from returning to the Fire Nation unless he captures the Avatar.'

'He'll be able to see out of his left eye, but his peripheral vision will be impaired and he will have difficulty squinting or opening the eye fully.'

'I have chosen to accompany him in his exile.'

As the contents of the letter became etched into her mind, Princess Azula vowed that she would make sure her father suffered like her brother had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azula reacts differently from canon to Zuko's scarring and banishment because without her father to indoctrinate her, she actually keeps a sense of empathy.
> 
> This marks a turning point for Azula, in a way - any doubts that her father isn't as bad as Iroh says he is go out the window.


	6. Blue Flame

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula discusses the nature of her firebending with Hiryu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in 98 AG, fourteen months after the previous chapter.
> 
> Character ages:
> 
> Hiryu - 13  
> Azula - 13

One day, Hiryu asked Azula a question that she was surprised he hadn't asked before.

"Why is your fire blue?"

Azula looked at him in disbelief. "We've known each other for over a year and you're only just now asking me this?" she questioned, holding a flame above the palm of her hand.

"I hadn't really given it much thought before," the waterbender confessed.

The princess blinked in confusion. "...Okay. To answer your question, my fire is blue because I am an exceptionally skilled firebender. Only those with the most control over their bending can produce blue flames."

"So you're saying it means you're a prodigy," Hiryu remarked.

Azula seemed to take pride in that. "Yes, it does," she grinned.


	7. The Light at the Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A light at the Water Temple disrupts village life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in 99 AG, during the events of "The Southern Air Temple."
> 
> Character ages: 
> 
> Hiryu - 14  
> Azula - 14

Azula wasn't sure what exactly was happening.

Why was there a pillar of light coming from the Avatar Temple just outside the city?

Azula and Hiryu ran as fast as they could to the temple.

No one in the village had ever seen the eyes of the statue of Avatar Kuruk glow.

"Uhh, Master Pakku, what in the name of Agni is happening?" the Princess of the Fire Nation questioned.

The waterbending master glanced at the girl, seeming just as confused as she was. "It...appears that the Avatar has returned."

Azula didn't know how to respond to that. Express hope? Maybe the Avatar could help overthrow her father and end the war. Laugh? Her brother had been sent on what her father had almost certainly considered a wild turtleduck chase, and now the Avatar had actually appeared. Express anger? Where had the Avatar been for a hundred years?

She decided to not say anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're finally getting close to the Gaang's entrance into the fic.


	8. The Avatar Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Avatar and companions arrive at the North Pole, and Katara and Azula clash.

Azula had considered many possibilities when she heard that the Avatar and his companions had arrived at the North Pole. An extremely old Air Nomad. An elderly waterbender. A middle-aged earthbender. A young firebender.

But an Air Nomad who was just a boy, who seemed to be no older than twelve?

If Azula hadn't seen the Avatar herself, she would have laughed at the idea.

But this boy - Aang, as his name apparently was - was indeed the Avatar, and he'd brought along the two children of Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka and Katara.

And was that a flying lemur on the Avatar's shoulder?

Chief Arnook held a feast in their honor, of course, and took advantage of the fact that they had arrived on Princess Yue's sixteenth birthday to combine the previously scheduled feast intended for thatoccasion with the inpromptu celebration commemorating the Avatar's arrival.

Arnook gave his speech, and then Azula decided to speak up.

She cleared her throat. "After nearly a century of my nation spreading death and destruction to all corners of the world, why is it that only now does the Avatar return?"

The room went quiet.

Aang, Sokka, and Katara stared at her in shock.

"Princess Azula, you should not treat such honored guests that way," Arnook scolded.

"Your people?" Sokka asked in confusion. "You're Water Tribe."

Azula snorted. "Sure."

The feast continued after that interruption. Sokka attempted to ask Yue out on a date. Azula just rolled her eyes at the feeble attempt at a pickup line. Who asked someone out by proposing to "do an activity"?

After the feast, Katara maneuvered over to Azula to confront her.

"That was really inappropriate of you to say about Aang," Katara stated.

Azula scoffed at the waterbender. "It's true, though. Where was he when the Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads? Where was he when your waterbenders were taken away?"

Katara got angrier at that. "You don't know anything about Aang! He was frozen in an iceberg the entire time! He didn't have a choice!"

As she got closer to the princess, she noticed the gold color of her eyes.

"You're Fire Nation," she murmured, her eyes widening. "That's why you said that 'your nation' did all that earlier."

"Wow, you finally picked up on it?" Azula mocked, raising an eyebrow.

"Why are you here?" Katara snarled.

"The Northern Water Tribe has given me their protection for almost four years now," the princess answered.

"Protection from what? Justice?"

Azula shook her head. "If you're just going to pass judgement on me on the basis of me being from the Fire Nation, we have nothing to discuss." With that, she walked away from Katara.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang finally meets Azula! This is actually the part of this AU I was most looking forward to writing - the Gaang interacting with Azula and trying to figure out why a Princess of the Fire Nation is living at the North Pole.


	9. Two Girls Overthrow the Patriarchy of the Northern Water Tribe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula and Katara take on the sexist traditions of the Northern Water Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 2/21/20: This story arc, formerly multiple chapters, has been condensed into one chapter. No other changes were made.

Azula was kind of expecting Katara to storm out of the training grounds soon after going in. What had the Southern girl been thinking? Didn't she know that the Northern Water Tribe was socially conservative?

"I probably should have warned you, Pakku's the most sexist man I've ever met," the princess declared as Katara passed by.

The waterbender whirled around to face her. "I'm not in the mood to argue with you today," she snapped.

Azula frowned. "I wasn't going to argue with you. On the contrary, the fact that the Fire Nation, which is literally an imperialist power that has committed genocide against two different peoples, is somehow significantly more progressive on the matter of gender equality than their intended conquered subjects is deeply disconcerting."

Katara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"In the Fire Nation, men and women serve in the military. The concept of women not fighting in the war is considered ludicrous," the princess explained.

Katara looked bewildered. "So if the country that's literally trying to conquer the world manages to have gender equality..."

"...Surely the innocent targets of their imperialism should strive to be better than them when it comes to social progress," Azula finished. "Wanna take down the patriarchy of the Northern Water Tribe and give them an actual fighting chance against the Fire Nation?"

"Deal."

"So, what's the plan?" Katara asked Azula.

The princess shot her a grin. "You'll learn healing from Yugoda during the day, and combat waterbending from the Avatar at night as he passes on what Pakku has taught him. Once you've become a master, you'll challenge Pakku and mop the floor with him, thus demonstrating the merits of women learning combat waterbending."

Katara nodded. "I like it."

The plan went well. Azula helped conceal the practice sessions.

Katara also learned something interesting from Yugoda - her grandmother had left the North Pole decades ago to escape a betrothal. The woman had loved her fiancee, but her fiancee was too rooted in the conservatism of the tribe.

"That...sounds awfully similar to Pakku's younger days," Azula remarked when Katara passed on this info.

Katara raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Pakku's betrothed disappeared decades ago because he couldn't grasp the concept of gender equality," Azula explained.

"And you know this how?"

The princess snorted. "I've lived here for almost four years. I know everyone here. Including that one guy who goes fishing and brings back lamp oil."

"Oh."

The lessons continued for several days.

Unfortunately, on the ninth day, Pakku walked in on one of the sessions.

"I am quite disappointed that honored guests of my tribe have chosen to go against our traditions like this. A disgrace. And you of all people should know this by now," the waterbending master scolded. Then he turned to face Aang. "I will not teach you waterbending anymore."

"You're a sexist idiot, Pakku, and you can't refuse to teach Aang over this," Azula declared.

Pakku glared at her. "I can and I will."

"He is the Avatar," the royal pointed out. "You cannot deny him waterbending lessons when HE NEEDS TO MASTER ALL FOUR ELEMENTS TO DEFEAT MY FATHER."

Pakku seemed to deflate at that. "Very well, then. I will continue to teach Aang, but he will be under supervision at all times to ensure he does not pass any of it on to Katara."

"Really now? You're going to halve your fighting force because of nonsensical traditions? The Fire Nation military has women in its ranks at every level. Refusing to allow female members of the Northern Water Tribe to fight and learn combat waterbending puts you at an immense disadvantage. If you so badly want to lose the war, be my guest. But if you actually care about ensuring that my father doesn't conquer the world, you'll stop clinging to rules from a bygone era!" Azula shouted.

Katara intervened at this point. "Master Pakku, I challenge to a waterbending duel. If I win, the rule forbidding women from combat waterbending will be repealed. If I lose, I will cease my efforts at learning combat waterbending and will only learn healing."

"Katara, what are you doing? You're not a master yet, you can't skip ahead to the last stage of the plan like this," Azula hissed.

Her advice went unheeded.

"If that is how you wish to settle this, then fine. We'll duel tomorrow morning," Pakku stated. With that, he walked away.

Katara whirled around to face Azula. "Why didn't you tell us your father was the Fire Lord? That seems like really important information!"

The princess let out a sigh. "Katara, it's simple - because my father is quite possibly the worst person on the planet. He challenged my brother to a duel for objecting to a plan to use new recruits as bait in an ambush, then burned half of his face and banished him when he refused to fight. I'm not really fond of referring to the man as my father."

With that, she walked off, leaving Aang, Katara, and Sokka to glance at each other in horror at this information.

"Katara, I still think this is too risky," Azula stated, as they walked into the arena where the duel between Pakku and Katara would be held.

"I have to do this, Azula. Just because I didn't get all the training I needed doesn't mean I can't beat him," Katara responded.

"That doesn't even make sense! Pakku is a waterbending master. You're not going to be able to beat him at this point!"

Azula stepped aside as the duel began.

Azula wasn't afraid to admit that Katara had progressed in her training at an astonishing rate during the nine days they were able to have Aang teach her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you!" Pakku mocked, as he encircled himself and Katara with a rapidly moving ring of water.

Katara concentrated and took control of the water, sending it towards the master. Pakku froze the water into a block of ice, and then sent it hurtling back at her as a wave.

The Southern waterbender opted to take the attack head-on while freezing her feet to keep her in place.

"You can't knock me down!" she shouted, then dissipated the ice around her feet, charging at the master.

Pakku summoned another ice wall, but Katara melted it. However, he knocked her into a pool of water with a water whip.

She rose to her feet, squeezing her hair to get some of the water out, then froze some of the water into disks of ice and sent them flying towards her opponent.

Pakku shattered them easily for the most part, but one grazed his cheek, leaving a cut.

Azula wasn't entirely sure what happened in the next few seconds. When the mist cleared, both fighters were still standing, but her vision was obscured again as the two both summoned large amounts of snow and ice to wield.

Eventually, however, the air cleared, and Katara was pinned in place by an impressive number of ice daggers.

"This fight is over," Pakku announced.

"No, it's not," Katara snapped.

Azula was actually inclined to agree with Pakku about the duel having concluded, given that Katara was trapped by a lot of frozen projectiles.

Pakku reached down to grab Katara's necklace, which had been thrown from her neck during the fight. "W-where did you get thus necklace?" He was clearly taken aback by its presence.

Katara looked at the master with anger in her eyes. "It was a gift from my mother. My father gave it to her, and he got it from his mother."

"...I made this necklace sixty years ago for my bethrothed, Kanna."

Katara's eyes widened.

Azula had to keep herself from laughing. She hadn't expected her joking suggestion that the woman who left Pakku was Katara's grandmother to actually turn out to be true.

"You were the man Gran-Gran was supposed to marry," Katara said.

Pakku let out a sigh. "I...I expect to see you at combat waterbending lessons this afternoon, Miss Katara. Don't be late."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another idea of mine that was part of the initial concept for the fic - Azula and Katara teaming up to try to tear down the nonsensical traditions of the Northern Water Tribe barring women from learning combat waterbending.


	10. Interlude: The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Azula and Katara prepare to go up against the patriarchy of the Northern Water Tribe, the preparations for the Siege of the North begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This interlude takes place contemporaneously to "Two Girls Overthrow the Patriarchy of the Northern Water Tribe".

"I'm taking your crew," Admiral Zhao announced, because of course the bastard was.

Zuko despised the man. He thought himself superior to Zuko, despite the fact that the Prince was infinitely more honorable than the Admiral ever was or ever would be.

And now he had the nerve to waltz in and declare he was taking Zuko's crew? Taking Jee, Kyo, Hanako, Teruko, Kazuto, and so many others?

Zhao didn't know these men and women. He didn't even need them for his invasion of the Northern Water Tribe. One ship wasn't going to make much of a difference.

"No, you won't," Zuko responded.

The Admiral whirled around to face him. "Excuse me?"

"You are not taking my crew. They aren't necessary to your invasion. They're a bunch of rejects. You have no use for them."

Zhao laughed. "Under what authority do you decline my request?"

"Under mine," Iroh opted to interrupt at this point. "I am overriding your request as Prince of the Fire Nation. My nephew is banished, yes, but I still have royal title. And last I checked, princes outrank admirals."

Zhao's eye twitched, and then he let out a sigh. "Very well, then. I retract my request to take your crew. But if it turns out that this act, the absence of an additional crew, costs us this battle, I am holding the two of you responsible."

With that, the admiral walked out of the room, onto the deck, and crossed the walkway back onto his ship.

Once aboard his vessel, he turned to one of his subordinates. "Can the deployment of the Maker's war machines be expedited?"

The officer looked a bit surprised by the request. "P-possibly, sir. I'll see what I can do."

Admiral Zhao allowed himself a smile at this.

The next day, Admiral Zhao has an off-the-record meeting with some traders.

That night, the Wani explodes. Its crew and the Dragon of the West are not on board, having taken shore leave, but Prince Zuko is killed in the blast. Officially, the ship was destroyed by pirates.

Of course, Prince Zuko doesn't actually die. Just like Princess Azula didn't. But Zhao doesn't know that.

Iroh, distraught by the death of his nephew, agrees to advise Admiral Zhao on the invasion.

The crew of the Wani do not join the invasion force.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a bit of divergence from canon here.
> 
> Also, the names of Zuko's crew members aside from Jee are creations of MuffinLance. Credit must go to her for them.


	11. The Siege of the North

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Fire Navy's invasion of the Northern Water Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 2/21/20: The Siege of the North arc, formerly a three-parter, has now been made a single chapter.

Katara got in about two weeks of training under Pakku before the black snow started falling.

Sokka and Yue came running to warn the rest of the tribe of what the implications of soot falling from the sky mixed with the snow, although Azula already had a good idea of what was going on.

Arnook gathered the warriors and gave a speech, because that was what chiefs did. The usual request for aid from the Moon and Ocean Spirits was part of the speech, as was tradition.

Aang volunteered to help repel the frontal assault.

Of course, Sokka couldn't stop himself from getting into a fight with Hahn, and consequently getting pulled from a reconaissance mission meant to gather intel from the lead ship. He wound up assigned to guard Yue.

Aang, Katara, and Yue went to the Spirit Oasis so that the Avatar could meditate and enter the Spirit World in the hopes of getting the aid of the Moon and Ocean Spirits in the battle.

Azula, meanwhile, served as an adviser to Chief Arnook, helping to coordinate the defense plan.

"Preliminary reconaissance indicates that the Fire Nation intends to deploy some prototype war machines as part of the assault," one of the military leaders informed the council.

The princess cocked an eyebrow. "War machines?"

The kind-of-an-officer-but-not-really nodded. "Yes. They appear to be capable of reproducing firebending. The machines look like this."

He used waterbending to move part of the ice on the table into the shape of the machine. The machine moved around on continuous tracks, and had three ports that shot fireballs out - one in the middle and one on each side of its body, which was capable of rotating around to fire in all directions. "Apparently they're called Infernos."

"They've mechanized firebending?" Azula questioned.

"It appears they've started to do so, yes. The Infernos haven't gone into mass production yet, but it seems they have quite a few as part of the invasion force. We're not sure who designed them - some of the warriors overheard the name 'the Maker' used for the inventor of the machines, but that's clearly a nickname, not their actual name."

Azula frowned. "This could be a serious problem. If they can produce these things en masse, then as long as the Fire Nation has factories, then the Fire Lord won't have to worry about running out of manpower."

"Are there any weak points?" Arnook suggested.

"Well, it appears that if you deflect the fireballs back into the launchers, the mechanisms jam and they become defenseless. They're not well-reinforced, so they're easy to destroy when they're not shooting blasts of fire at you. The trouble is finding something to deflect the attacks with," the pseudo-officer offered.

Their discussion on the machines was interrupted by Sokka and Yue rushing in.

"We have a problem," Sokka stated. "Zuko's trying to capture Aang. He's fighting Katara in the Spirit Oasis."

Azula wasn't sure what caused the ocean, the moon, and the sky to all turn blood red.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

All that she knew was that something was very wrong at the Spirit Oasis, and Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Yue were still missing.

So she ran to the Spirit Oasis as fast as she could.

Her eyes widened in horror at what she saw - Zhao was holding a dripping wet bag in his hand, and the two koi fish that had been in the pond since before Azula had arrived at the North Pole were nowhere to be found.

Zhao was ranting about his apparent victory, declaring himself the Conqueror of the Moon and Ocean.

"I'm not sure what the hell you think you're doing, Zhao, but I strongly recommend putting the koi fish back in the pond if you know what's good for you," Azula ordered.

Zhao turned around to face Azula, and a look of disbelief crossed his face. "P-Princess?! But you're dead!"

The Princess of the Fire Nation shot him a glare. "Clearly I'm not, as I'm standing right here talking to you. Put the fish back in the pond."

The admiral frowned. "But Princess Azula, this is our ultimate triumph. I hold the lives of the Moon and Ocean Spirits in my hands. The Water Tribes are powerless."

"Exactly. Return the spirits to the pond, unless you want the Fire Nation to never be able to sail the seas again."

A familiar voice interrupted their exchange. "I would strongly advise you to listen to my niece, Admiral Zhao, unless you wish to throw the world into chaos," the Dragon of the West warned.

"General Iroh. I should have known that you were going to betray me."

The princess scoffed. "You're stalling. Release the fish. Last chance."

Zhao let out a sigh and released Tui and La back into the pond.

"Now, there is another matter, Admiral. As far as everyone in the Fire Nation is concerned, Princess Azula is dead. Why, then, did you think it was advisable to attempt to assassinate Prince Zuko as well? Banished or not, he is still, to everyone's knowledge, the Fire Lord's only close relative besides myself. Your actions would have extinguished the royal line upon the Fire Lord's death," Iroh pointed out.

The conversation was interrupted by Aang, Katara, Sokka, Yue, and an unconscious Zuko arriving on Appa.

Zhao looked around, desperate to find an advantage in this situation.

Then his eyes returned to the koi fish pond, and he shot a burst of flame at the Ocean Spirit, and the water turned red once more.

Katara felt like she was dying.

Every part of her body was burning.

Staggering towards the confrontation between Azula and Zhao, she looked around.

Her eyes settled on the koi fish pond, and the scream that she made at what she saw was instinctive.

One of the koi fish was burned. It was alive, yes, but the damage was there. Katara knew that the fish hadn't had that burn before.

She knelt before the pond and gently removed the burned fish, concentrating as she placed her hands over the fish and tried to heal it.

Katara winced as she tried to focus through the pain.

She was utterly helpless to deal with what came next.

"Seize Princess Yue," Zhao's voice rang out. "She'll serve as a useful hostage."

No. No. This couldn't be happening.

The waterbender glanced up to see two firebenders gripping the Northern Water Tribe princess's arms and marching her away, followed by the admiral.

She couldn't help Yue right now. Saving the Ocean Spirit was paramount.

It felt like an eternity passed, but finally the burns on the koi fish disappeared. The water returned to its normal color, and Katara released the spirit back into the pond.

The splitting pain was gone.

She looked around to take in what had happened.

Aang, Sokka, and Azula were sitting next to her, expressions of sadness on their faces.

Zuko had apparently awoken during the chaos from the Ocean Spirit being injured, and fled along with his uncle.

Yue was gone, and so was Zhao.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you're wondering, the Infernos are lifted from the ATLA video game. They're just like I described them - miniature tanks that rotate and shoot fireballs at you that can be deflected back into the launchers using Aang's staff.
> 
> Katara being in such pain is a result of the Ocean Spirit being hurt - the provider of life for all waterbenders was damaged, and all waterbenders felt the pain. To put it simply, injuring the Ocean Spirit injures every waterbender. And if Zhao hadn't missed, and had managed to kill the Ocean Spirit, well...
> 
> Also, Zhao is not acting rationally here. He's captured Yue as a last resort to ensure a safe retreat for himself.


	12. Interlude: The Royal Assassin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fire Lord Ozai makes plans to tie up loose ends.

Kohaku, Princess of Fire, Weapon of the Fire Nation, daughter of Prince Ronghua, and granddaughter of Fire Lord Sozin, kneeled before Fire Lord Ozai as he sat on the Dragon Throne.

The flames burned as they had done since time immemorial.

The Fire Lord's anger was clear as he spoke. "Princess Kohaku. It has been a long time, my cousin. I have summoned you here today because I have a task for you."

That got Kohaku's attention. At the age of thirty-one, she was presently the heir to the throne due to the fact that her cousins' children had met premature ends - Prince Lu Ten having been killed in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, and Princess Azula and Prince Zuko having been killed in unrelated pirate attacks several years apart.

The Fire Lord continued. "Information has come to light. Admiral Zhao, not pirates, was responsible for the death of Prince Zuko. Additionally, my brother impeded the admiral's plans to kill the Moon and Ocean Spirits as part of our conquest of the Northern Water Tribe. For Zhao's crime of regicide, and Prince Iroh's crime of treason, they are both now fugitives of the Fire Nation. I want you to kill Admiral Zhao, and bring my brother to me, dead or alive. Do not fail me."

Kohaku couldn't decline this request even if she wanted to. Her status as Weapon of the Fire Nation made it impossible to refuse an order from the Fire Lord. Every action of a Weapon was an extension of the Fire Lord's will. Her thoughts were irrelevant.

Of course, Kohaku actually did want to do this. She'd never liked her cousin Iroh, and getting rid of him would be fun.

"Your will is my command," she affirmed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku and Ronghua are OCs. The old ATLA website stated that Azulon was Sozin's "eldest son", indicating that Azulon had younger brothers. I created Ronghua as one of those never-seen siblings, and Kohaku as a daughter of Ronghua. Kohaku is thus Ozai and Iroh's first cousin. To be clear, Kohaku is not an Azula expy. She's her own villain. Does she replace Azula in being the one to chase Iroh and Zuko initially? Yes. But she has a completely different personality.
> 
> The concept and name Weapon of the Fire Nation was created by the masterful Loopy777, and is used with his permission.


	13. The Aftermath of the Siege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azula learns that Yue is not the only person that went missing during the Siege.

Azula wasn't prepared for the news that Master Wei gave her.

"Hiryu is missing."

Her breath hitched in her throat for a moment. "What happened?"

"H-he went out hunting shortly before the siege, and he never came back. He went out north of the village."

Oh no. No no no.

The princess decided to recruit the Avatar and his companions for the mission of Tracking Down Hiryu.

"Avatar, I need you to come with me. One of my friends went out hunting to the north before the siege and never came back," she requested of the monk.

"Uhh, sure, Azula, I guess I can help," Aang shrugged.

And thus they set out to find Hiryu.

The snow was heavy and there was a trail of machine parts along the path to...

Azula swallowed.

That was the path to the cave they'd gone in several years ago. The one with the unsteady ground in one part.

Had Hiryu gone into the cave and lost his footing?

There was no use in standing around and thinking about the possibility. She'd know soon enough.

She turned to Aang and gestured for him to follow her. "Come on, I think I know where he might have gone."

The two of them pushed onward, making their way into the cave. "If I'm right, and I really hope I'm not, our answer to where Hiryu went is in this cave."

She lit a flame in the palm of her hand to light up the surrounding area.

Aang gawked at the azure color of the fire. "Y-your firebending is blue," he stammered.

The princess shot him a smirk. "Blue fire indicates mastery of firebending. Only the most skilled of firebenders can produce it."

They continued deeper into the cavern, the trail of discarded machinery leading the way.

And then the two arrived at the spot where Hiryu had almost fallen all those years ago.

But where ice and snow had previously covered the entire floor, a gaping hole sat in the middle of the area. The pit seemed to go on forever. Azula couldn't see the bottom.

"What is this?" the Avatar asked.

"It's where Hiryu went," Azula sighed. "I don't know what exactly happened to him, but he's gone. Look at the edges of the pit." She pointed at the rim with her free hand. "This pit wasn't formed naturally. The shape is too even and consistent. And this hole wasn't here three years ago. I know because I visited this part of the cave then."

Aang raised an eyebrow. "If it's not a natural hole, then what is it?"

The princess looked at the Avatar with an expression of fear. "A machine did. I don't know what kind of machine did this, but I'll bet it's related to those Infernos the Fire Nation deployed during the siege. I don't know whether Hiryu is alive or not, but I'm guessing that Zhao will know."

She turned towards the way they came in from the cave. "We should get back to the village."

The walk back was uneventful.

Pakku had given Katara a set of waterbending scrolls and a flask of water from the Spirit Oasis while they were gone.

"We're going to rescue Yue," Sokka informed Aang and Azula as they walked over to him.

"And Hiryu," Azula added.

Sokka frowned. "Your missing friend?"

Azula nodded. "Yes. Looks like those machines of the Fire Nation's captured him. We found a giant pit in a cave that was definitely not there before, plus a trail of machine parts along the way."

"We'll rescue Yue and your friend, okay?" Katara offered.

Azula shook her head. "Oh no. I'm coming with you. The Avatar is gonna need to learn firebending at some point, and I'm one of the best firebenders in existence."

The Avatar made a goofy grin. "Great! You'll love Appa!"

The group of four made their way to the area where Appa was resting, an out-of-the-way enclosure just outside the city.

Unfortunately, there was something blocking their path.

"Uhh, what is THAT?" Sokka shouted, pointing at the obstacle in question.

Said obstacle was a giant machine with a pentagon-shaped body and two arms that had latched onto the walls of the archway leading to the enclosure.

"I believe it's the Infernos' bigger sibling," Azula offered.

And then the machine started launching fireballs at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're moving into a new arc - one that kind of adapts the first ATLA video game but takes it in a somewhat different direction.
> 
> This arc is fairly short, but it does actually tie in with Book 2's analog that follows it.
> 
> The machine at the end of the chapter is called the Colossal Inferno, for those wondering.


	14. Interlude: The Punishment for Regicide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess Kohaku makes clear to Admiral Zhao what the crime of regicide is punished with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place contemporaneously with "The Aftermath of the Siege".
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains a character death, although it isn't depicted in graphic detail.

Admiral Zhao had been expecting a welcoming committee when he strode into Gangkou Prison with the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe in chains.

He was not expecting to see Princess Kohaku, cousin of the Fire Lord, accompanied by six Imperial Firebenders.

"Admiral Zhao," she smiled.

He gave her a smile in return. "Princess Kohaku," he bowed. "What brings you here?"

The princess's expression turned serious. "The Fire Lord is aware that you were responsible for the death of Prince Zuko. My cousin doesn't appreciate your extinguishing of his line."

The admiral became frightened. "A-actually, his line isn't extinct, Your Highness. Princess Azula is apparently alive and well and is living in the Northern Water Tribe."

Kohaku stared at Zhao in shock, raising an eyebrow. "Really now? And did you know this when you hired the pirates to kill her brother?"

"U-uh no, your highness-"

"Then you believed at the time that Prince Zuko was the only living grandchild of Fire Lord Azulon," she interrupted. "Your actions would have seemingly ended his line."

Zhao was terrified of her at this point. "H-have you heard of the Blue Spirit? I visited his ship a few days before the explosion occurred. I remembered the swords the Blue Spirit used. Prince Zuko had the very same swords on the wall of his room. He claimed they were decorative, but that was clearly a lie," he offered.

The princess smiled again. "This is certainly useful information, Admiral. Thank you for informing me. Nevertheless, the charge of regicide still stands. Tell me, Admiral Zhao, do you know what the punishment for that crime is?"

Zhao began to back away. "I-I don't."

"You're about to find out," she grinned.

The sound of screaming filled the halls of Gangkou Prison.

The admiral's body fell to the floor.

"Send a messenger hawk to the Fire Lord," Kohaku ordered one of the guards. "Tell him that Admiral Zhao has been dealt with, and that he informed me of his belief that Prince Zuko was the 'Blue Spirit' responsible for breaking the Avatar out of Pohuai Stronghold, as well as the fact that he claimed that Princess Azula is alive and resides in the Northern Water Tribe."

She strolled out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gangkou Village and Gangkou Prison are not quite my own invented names - the village in the ATLA game is just called "Port Village" and the prison is just called "Prison." Gangkou means port, so I just substituted the name.


	15. The Colossal Inferno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Azula battle a giant Fire Nation machine of death.

The machine blocking their path to Appa was quickly proving to be a formidable foe.

From what Azula could tell, it had two different kinds of firebending attacks. 

The first kind was to shoot out three consecutive fireballs over a long distance. The behemoth would repeat this action several times, each time aiming further to the left or right than its previous set of attacks. 

The second kind was to blast a continuous stream of fire as it shifted its focus from one side of the battle to the other, covering the area in front of it with flames.

After blasting the continuous stream, it would just...stop for a few seconds. The circular launcher in the center of the machine that produced fire would start glowing red for a while, as it stayed in place.

Afterwards, it would repeat its attacks again.

Azula took note of this particular detail - that the machine had a specific pattern, rather than just doing actions at random or changing its attacks to match the fight.

Which meant that if the action of stopping, and the launcher glowing red, was part of the pattern...

"I think that I know how to take this thing down!" Azula shouted.

"I'm all ears," Sokka said. "What's your plan?"

"The attacks this thing makes follow a pattern. I think that when it stops attacking and the launcher glows red, that's when it's recharging," the princess explained.

"So that's when we attack!" the warrior exclaimed in realization.

The strategy worked, although 'hitting the launcher over and over while it's recharging' didn't appear to be enough to destroy it.

Oh.

Azula had an idea.

How did you do it again? Separate the negative and positive energies?

"Everyone get out of the way between me and the launcher!" she ordered.

Aang, Katara, and Sokka obliged, and as the launcher started to glow, Azula went through the motions of a technique she hadn't done in years.

Sparks of electricity formed at her fingertips, and she thrust out her hand, aiming her fingers at the launcher.

"What the f-," Sokka began, as lightning shot out of Azula's fingertips and into the machine.

The machine exploded into a shower of gears and other parts, the circular launcher landing in the snow.

"D-did you just destroy that thing by shooting lightning at it?!" Sokka asked in a mixture of shock and admiration.

Azula pulled her arms back to her sides and nodded. "It's a firebending technique that only those without conflict within themselves can perform."

"Can you teach it to me?" the Avatar questioned excitedly.

"I'm not gonna teach you extremely high-level firebending techniques when you don't even know the basics!" Azula answered.

Sokka kneeled in front of the launcher. "There's a Fire Nation symbol on this," he said gravely.

"I thought there would be," the princess replied. "Come on, we've already wasted enough time with this mechanical monstrosity as it is." She got to her feet and gestured towards Appa, who had surprisingly avoided getting struck by any of the debris from the machine's destruction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, you don't defeat the Colossal Inferno in the ATLA video game by zapping it with lightning. You just hit it over and over while it's recharging until it's run out of HP. But Azula overloading it with a bolt of lightning is less tedious for a written story than "they hit it over and over until it broke." Plus, it serves as a way to show the Gaang that Azula can generate lightning.


	16. Gangkou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Gaang arrive in Gangkou Village, an Earth Kingdom town under occupation by the Fire Nation, as they search for information on Yue and Hiryu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 2/21/20: The chapter was renamed from "Amongst the Enemy" to "Gangkou".

Appa landed on a beach outside the nearest port town.

"Let's ask the villagers if they know anything about Yue or Hiryu," Sokka suggested.

"There might be a problem with that plan," Katara stated, pointing towards a pair of Fire Nation soldiers patrolling the beach.

"Actually, I think I might know how to get us past them," Azula offered. "I doubt very many people know what I've been up to since my supposed death, so I might be able to convince the soldiers you're with me."

Sokka seemed to consider this. "It could work," he agreed. "But what about a backup plan?"

"We could just knock out some soldiers and steal their uniforms," Azula replied dryly.

"I prefer the first option," Aang interjected.

Azula pulled her hair up into a topknot and tied it. "I haven't done my hair like this in years."

"Well, don't get used to it," Sokka admonished.

"I know, I know."

They jumped down from the saddle, landing on the sand, and walked towards the soldiers.

One of the two soldiers pointed his spear at them. "Halt. State your business."

Azula pretended to look offended. "Do you really not recognize me?"

The soldier blinked. "Uh...I don't."

The princess let out a groan. "Has the Fire Nation really forgotten what Princess Azula looks like?"

The soldier was taken aback by this. "The princess died years ago."

Azula lit an azure flame in the palm of her hand. "On the contrary, the rumors of my demise are false."

The soldier almost fell over in shock. "A-apologies, Your Highness. You and your companions are free to pass through here," he bowed.

"That's more like it," she smiled.

The group walked onwards, heading into the town. A sign identified it as Gangkou Village.

"Did you really need to scare them?" Katara hissed at Azula.

"It worked, didn't it?" the princess replied.

Katara sighed.

They decided to ask around for information. Their inquiries led them to the village elder.

"I've heard that the prison to the northeast recently got a new arrival - the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe," the elder informed them.

"We'll check it out," Aang nodded.

The walk to Gangkou Prison proved to be miserable. They found themselves having to fend off a seemingly endless number of wild hog-monkeys trying to kill them as they trekked towards their destination.

"Why didn't anyone tell me hog-monkeys were fiercely territorial?" the princess groaned.

"You've spent your entire life in either the urban parts of the Fire Nation or the Northern Water Tribe. Where would you have encountered a hog-monkey?" Sokka pointed out.

"Good point."

After about an hour of walking, they finally arrived at the gates of the prison.

Azula turned to face Aang, Sokka, and Katara. "Okay, you're gonna have to pretend to be my prisoners for us to get inside."

They nodded.

"State your business," one of the guards commanded.

"Princess Azula, escorting three prisoners," Azula responded.

The guards let them pass without any trouble.

But as the lift took them into the lower levels of the prison, Azula's eyes narrowed.

"They didn't seem surprised that I was alive," she realized. "I think our cover's blown."

Her guess proved to be correct, as a group of guards rushed to confront them once they disembarked from the lift, and started to attack.

"Capture the traitor!" one of the guards ordered.

Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Azula made short work of the guards, and proceeded to fight their way through the prison to the lower levels, Azula melting off the locks for the occupied cells as they went.

Eventually, they came to the last cell, which held Princess Yue. The cell was just outside of a hallway leading deeper into the prison.

Azula heated the lock until it melted and then pulled the door open.

"Yue! Where's Hiryu?" Sokka asked.

Yue looked at him in puzzlement. "Hiryu isn't here. But the Fire Nation is holding another prisoner, someone called Lian the Maker. I overheard the guards mention that she was making war machines for the Fire Nation. We need to get her out of here too."

Azula frowned. "Where's Admiral Zhao?"

Yue looked a bit distressed. "He's dead."

"What? How?" Sokka questioned.

"Someone was waiting at the prison when we arrived, someone called Princess Kohaku. She killed Zhao."

Azula went rigid. "Oh no."

"What is it? What's wrong?" Katara said.

"Kohaku is my cousin. She's a highly skilled assassin. I don't know why she came here to kill Zhao, but it can't be good. We need to get Lian out of here and leave as soon as possible," Azula explained.

Yue pointed down the hallway. "They're holding her in a cell down there."

Qiang had seen a lot in his forty-three years of life. He'd served under General Iroh for years. In the Siege of Ba Sing Se, he had lost an eye during the battle that had resulted in Fire Nation forces piercing the Outer Wall. When the Dragon of the West had announced the end of the siege, Qiang had been disappointed. He'd relished the faces the Earth Kingdom prisoners made with each Fire Nation victory.

So, it was only natural that he became a prison warden after retiring from the army. He loved seeing prisoners' faces. Especially his favorite prisoner, the one he served as a personal guard for. 

Lian the Maker, twenty-four years old, orphaned at the age of seven in an attack on her village. The woman was full of hate. She spewed venom about the Fire Nation at every opportunity.

But she still made machines for them. and put in her best effort. She didn't try to make weak designs. She didn't try to sabotage them. She hated the Fire Nation, yes, but she knew she had lost.

The sound of rapid footsteps reverberated through the chamber.

Ah. There were people running through the hallway to him.

The group came into view.

Qiang recognized three of them from their wanted posters. The bald kid with the arrow on his forehead was the Avatar. The two teenagers in blue clothing were Water Tribesmen, brother and sister. The girl was a waterbender.

He also recognized a fourth - Princess Yue. It seemed they'd freed her from her cell.

But who was the fifth, the other girl?

Qiang wracked his mind, searching for an answer. She definitely looked familiar.

Oh.

Princess Azula.

So Zhao hadn't been babbling nonsense about her still being alive.

Qiang got to his feet, grabbing his staff. Very few firebenders used a staff for their bending. He wielded one as part of his unorthodox fighting style.

His lips curled upwards into a smile.

This would be fun.

Qiang advanced on them, twirling his staff in front of him as the flames burned.

The Water Tribesman tried to throw something metal at him.

The warden dodged it, of course. Why had the boy thought that would work?

Qiang continued the fight.

Then there was a swishing sound, and something hit him in the back of the head, and everything went black.

"Well, that was easier than expected," Aang said.

"You just knocked out one of the most ruthless prison wardens in the Fire Nation with a boomerang!" Azula exclaimed in disbelief.

"We do have a different problem now," Sokka pointed to where Lian was.

Or, rather, where she had been.

"Where did she go?" Katara asked.

"I'm guessing this will answer that question," Azula said, holding up a map with scribbled handwriting and places circled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave the Jailer a backstory and a name, but also had Sokka knock him out in one hit in a completely different manner than the game has you defeat him in.
> 
> I also gave Lian a backstory.


End file.
